Author Archives: Mikey

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About Mikey

The 70's brought us many wonderful things. Star Wars, shag carpet, the Bee Gee's, the Brady Bunch, and most important his royal largeness Mikey. Delivered to us in the middle of the night on a bed of twinkies from the gods of cakes and pies. Mikey has been a Ventura County resident for close to 16 years now. He took an oath to bring down the establishment, fight the power, and deliver man-kind from evil. He of course put that all on hold for awhile in order to bring you the best in food reviews from all around California and especially from Ventura County. So food establishments beware, he is coming to your restaurant with his face of fury, you better serve it hot and there better be some gravy on it!
by | September 1, 2009 · 10:36 pm

Fred’s Mexican Café

by Mikey

Yes it’s another review for a Mexican Restaurant; this one however has 2 great things going for it. Location and atmosphere. Fred’s is on the main drag in Huntington Beach and its got good food and a really great atmosphere for drinkin and hanging out. Only issue is stairs…….

Fred’s Mexican Café – Huntington Beach

Just like the Huntington Beach Brewery, Fred’s has a mass amount of stairs. Drunk people must be much more coordinated in HB cause stairs around here means drunks giggling, laughing, yelling, and then falling. Drunks need flat ground as they drink in herds and need flat space to sip from the well and run in the event of an ex or the police.

Once you make the assent up to Fred’s you’ll see that it was worth it. Half their seating has a great view of the nightlife below and they even have the place split in half with the serious drinkers on one side and the social drinkers on the other side. They have a fireplace which is beautiful but unnecessary for the alcoholic as we have internal heating systems that are triggered by the consumption of Vodka or Whiskey.

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Fred’s also has some pretty good music. Anywhere they play 80’s and early 90’s is good for me. I know Brian is more into Yani and old guys that play wood flutes but it was still pretty rockin.

They have a few beers on tap and my brother Alex and I ordered up a couple. I got mine in the huge ass Fred’s Glass which is great at the beginning but tends to get warm kinda quick.

I was the only one eatin tonight as my bro decided that beer, chips , and salsa is all that would be on his menu. I being A: a big dude, and B: a guy who writes for a food site tries to get food wherever I go. I ordered the carne asada enchilada plate.

First off their salsa is decent. It’s perfect for those alcoholics that like to graze while the drink with the heard. It’s not all that spicy but is still zesty and fresh tasting.

The enchilada was not too bad. The carne asada was good; it was cooked well and had a great flavor. The cheese is a bit bland and I would have enjoyed a more zesty and exciting sauce. It’s not a bad dish but it could use some life. Kick up the chili, the garlic, add some onion, cilantro, a little lime, anything to give it just a bit more life.

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I’d like to try a few more dishes there so I’m counting on you guys to head over to Fred’s and try it out. It’s a really great place to drink and I’d like to know how some of their other dishes play out. See if you can get them to put in an escalator.

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by | August 26, 2009 · 11:50 pm

Man Vs Food – San Francisco

by Mikey

Adam takes on the 2 gallon sundae and some other great food in San Francisco. From the Mission District to Walnut Creek Adam searches out some of the best food SF has to offer. I’ve been to SF many times and have never hit any of these places but that’s gonna change cause I want to eat at all of the places he went to.

San Francisco

The first stop on Adam’s list was the Taqueria La Cumbre. At TLC they have the 2lb Mission Burrito. TLC claims to have started the original mission style burrito and it looks absolutely fantastic. Adam gets the carne asada, and chicken burrito and it looks great. Filled with meat, cheese, and pico it looks exactly like one of the burritos I need to take down on my way to shooting for the B3 in Vegas.

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The next stop is Ikes Place for some sandwiches. This place looks phenomenal. The sandwiches the people were eating looked so damn good. Adam gets this monster sandwich called the Kryptonite. It weighs in at 4lbs and has 13 ingredients. They use this secret sauce called, “dirty sauce”, and bake it right into the bread. Then it’s covered in avocado, roast beef, turkey, pepperoni, jalapeno poppers, mozzarella sticks, pepper jack cheese and more. The thing was a beast. They are definitely on the list of places to eat.

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The challenge was at the San Francisco Creamery. There Adam takes on the Kitchen Sink Sundae. 8 scoops of ice cream, 4 bananas, hot fudge, sprinkles, almonds, and 8 servings of whip cream. It is a 2 gallon sundae. Only 4 people have managed to eat this thing and if you can you get your picture on the wall and free ice cream for a year. These aren’t normal Baskin Robin scoops either. The scoops they hand out are huge.

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Adam has to eat the sundae in an hour including everything in the sink and the drip tray below. As usual he starts off with no issues and doesn’t seem to have any problems until he reaches the last quarter of the sundae. He requests some French fries to try and equal out the sweetness and it seems to help him finish out the sink. Then the owner reminds him he has to clear out the tray too. Adam gives a great quote. “I forgot about the %&^# tray.”

Adam still manages to finish it off as I kinda figured he would. Me personally I can’t take down that much ice cream. Way too much dairy and the amount of sugar would instantly secure me with diabetes. Just watching it I had to consider getting some insulin. Not a challenge I’d go after. Adam handles it in 45 minutes.

For food this was a great episode. For entertainment it was a bit short. They do this horrible 60’s montage right before the ice cream and it was painful to watch. He’s much better making jokes as he goes along rather then putting together skits.

The show definitely made me want to take a trip to SF just for Ikes alone. I gotta get me one of those sandwiches. You can eat them and use them to beat off someone trying to steal your wallet.

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by | August 25, 2009 · 10:30 pm

Yo Yum Yum Frozen Yogurt

by Mikey

Time for a desert break.  Hit this great frozen yogurt place in Huntington Beach.  It’s as rich as ice cream and the service is outstanding.  You scream, I scream, we all, um… want frozen yogurt and stuff.

Yo Yum Yum Frozen Yogurt – Huntington Beach, Brookhurst St

Just a real quick one tonight cause frozen yogurt is not all that involved.  Let’s hit the main points of frozen yogurt.

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The service at Yo Yum  is excellent because it’s you serving you.  You get the flavors you want.  You put it in the cup.  You put your toppings on.  If you’re going too slow, you can yell at yourself.  If the guy in front of you is going too slow, you can ask him who he’s trying to sneak up on.  Once you get the yogurt and toppings you head to the cashier, they weigh it, charge you, and send you on your chocolate sprinkly way.

I went for the peanut butter and the vanilla wafer flavors and both were outstanding.  The PB was creamy and not chalky at all.  The ‘nilla wafer tasted just like nilla wafers.  They have around 6-8 flavors, ranging from mango to my vanilla wafer.  They change them out to so you never know what they’re going to have.  Who knows, maybe Newcastle flavor isn’t too far off.

They have all the great toppings they are supposed to. Real fruit, sprinkles, candy, cookies, the works. I went for the reeses and the sprinkles cause that’s just what I do.  To me, fruit is for pie.

The place is pretty nice too.  It has lots of space and plenty of places to sit.  I sat outside breathed the clean HB air and watched the HB police chase away the homeless and lower middle class.  It was a great day.

I would definitely add this place to your list of dessert spots.  It’s getting harder to find great yogurt at a reasonable price.  I got my whole set-up for 4 bucks and I got quite a bit.  Usually you get some kid in back thinking you want like 6 chocolate chips and 13 sprinkles.  This way you get to pile it on and enjoy.  It’s places like this that make you glad you don’t live in Mucho Nada, New Mexico.

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by | August 24, 2009 · 5:32 pm

Huntington Beach Beer Company

by Mikey

Its time to veer off from the world of food for just a bit and show off a great place to get beer, beer, and more beer. It’s an awesome place on Main St, that has some excellent brews, just watch out for the guy that steals the chairs.

Huntington Beach Beer Company – Main St, Huntington Beach

My bro ,who is staying in HB, took me to a few of the great spots in and around town.  I’ll be throwing a few on here.  From here on out, the place will be known as HBBC because I don’t feel like typing that whole thing out every time I use the name.

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We shared a pitcher of the wheat beer, which was actually pretty damn good.  I’m not always a fan of the hef but theirs is done well.  It would be great to drink on one of those days when you’re out in the hot sun watching other people work.  We didn’t try too many others because it was just the beginning of our alcoholic adventure.

The place itself is upstairs, which can be a problem for most of us alcoholics.  Negotiating stairs drunk is a lot like a Pauly Shore movie. Yeah it’s got funny parts, but for the most part it is going to be bad. Another good reason to spread out the drinking.

They do have some great TV action, so it is a great place to watch sports.  They also have a patio with an outstanding view. It’s the perfect place to start off a first date when that game you were watching is still on, but you still want to make a good impression.  She’ll think you’re awesome for picking a great place to drink and you’ll get the chance to see your boys wrap up the game on TV.

I do have a couple general complaints. First, the help could increase the whole “happy, glad to see ya” thing.  They spend a lot of time having fun and laughing with each other, but as far as interacting with the public, they lean more towards “lets just get it over with”.  Maybe they were just upset about the current state of the economy.

The other thing that was odd is that this dude came by and took all the bar stools.  He didn’t say why, he just said he needed to remove the stools.  I figured he received some kind of vision and had to build something so the voices would stop.  Still, standing with a pitcher of beer doesn’t work as well as sitting comfortably.  I was hoping at that point for some kind of break dancing competition to break out with the new amount of space made.  But alas, no cardboard in sight.

We used the chair removal as our cue to hit up the next spot.  I would definitely hit up this place again.  They have some great beer and feature some nice seasonal brews.  They have some awards from the LA County Fair and the CA State Fair.  Silver medals abound throughout the taps; it’s definitely a great place to drink.  If you eat there, let me know how the food is.

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by | August 22, 2009 · 7:30 pm

Man Vs Food – Charleston

by Mikey

First off, I just want to say I know you guys may be wondering where B-money is and why you have to suffer through just me. Brian is in the Amazon with a small tribe teaching them how to play electronic battleship and how to make jiffy pop.  He will be returning soon to bring you some of the great places to eat in and around the world.  First, he must find a Starbucks with internet. Until then, curl up next to your favorite stranger, who you just met in that club last night (when you were so hammered you attempted to convince the bartender that George Lucas is not so great with special effects but he writes some of the greatest dialog the world has ever heard on film) and take in the glory that is Man Vs Food.

Adam is in Charleston taking on fresh oysters, shrimp and grits, the big nasty, and the spicy tuna rolls at Bushido. Each tuna roll gets hotter and the entire meal consists of 10 tuna hand rolls. Can Adam eat all 10 rolls?

Man Vs Food – Charleston

Adams first stop is to the Hominy Grill for some shrimp and grits.  The shrimp is caught locally and made with homemade grits for a fantastic meal.  Most places serve shrimp from miles away and brought to the restaurant under Gordon Ramsey’s favorite term – fresh frozen.  Anytime you can get seafood caught on the same day, from water just a stones throw away, it is definitely a bonus.

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The real story at the H-Grill, however, is the “Big Nasty”: a sandwich made with a huge piece of fried chicken, covered in white cheddar, and smothered in sausage gravy, in between two fluffy homemade biscuits. It’s a beautiful cardiac arrest sandwich.

Adam’s next stop is to Bowens Island for some fresh clams. Adam actually goes out to these rocks out in the water around the island area and removes chunks of clams off the rocks.  From there they steam them on this huge flat grill covered in wet burlap sacks.  They are served with shovels and you just bust them open and throw out the shells in the table receptacle hole.  I’m on the fence about oysters to begin with, but there was nothing really appetizing about watching them put this together.  I’m sure its fantastic, but so far it wasn’t one of the more remarkable or desirable locations.

Oyster clump

Oyster clump

Finally we get to the battle we’ve been waiting for. Continue reading →

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by | August 18, 2009 · 8:03 pm

Burrito Loco

by Mikey

Yeah, I know I’ve been posting alot of burrito and Mexican food places.  A while back, I asked people to give me some good places and I’ve been working off my list.  This is actually the last small, hole in the wall, Mexican food place I had on the list and I gotta say it was a horrible way to finish it off.  I’m going to have to find some more hole in the walls just to remove this one. But I’m not bitter…..

Burrito Loco – Arroyo Grande

I used to live up in Arroyo Grande, and when someone told me that this place was some of the best Mexican food in SLO, I had to check it out.  Those lying bastards will pay for their betrayal.

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I had my boy with me, so between the both of us I knew we would get a great sampling.  When you got T with you, anywhere you go you got nachos, burgers, and pizza covered.  He does not stray very far from his staples.

I ordered up some enchiladas and tacos and T went with the nacho plate.  The place did have a lot of people inside, so that was a good sign.  The help is not unfriendly, but they aren’t friendly either.  They are kinda lifeless.  If I had a place called burrito loco, my employees would at least seem moderately happy and maybe even a bit crazy.  The good kinda crazy, not the “I’m going to take you out to the alley, cut off your head and drink chocolate milk from it” kinda crazy, but maybe like “I have all these TV’s and my prices are insane” kinda crazy.

We got our food within 15 minutes and I already saw a problem with T-money’s nachos: they use a cheese sauce and not real cheese.  Cheese sauce is ok if you’re at the ball game or movies, where they need to get stuff out quick and the food isn’t supposed to be great.  In a place like this it should be the real thing.  T kinda looked at it the way you look when you think your favorite show is about to come on but instead its extended coverage of the state of the union address and they are analyzing every use of the word “the”.

T, being the great foody that he is, still tried them out for me and confirmed that, yes, they are indeed horrible.  I went ahead and tried them too and confirmed the confirmation that, yes indeed, they were, in fact, downright uninspiring.  Cheese sauce spread all over chips kills any and all crunchiness they might have had, and if it’s a sloppy sauce it’s on every damn chip.  T was a trooper and hung with it as best he could.

I wish I could say my meal was better, but it just wasn’t.  The enchilada was as bland as the help.  The sauce was made to look like sauce, but was really just a wet covering.  I almost thought the beans had flavor, but it turned out it was just a piece of my breakfast that had gotten stuck in my teeth.  The beef in the taco could have been beef at one time, but now was just a shadow of its former self.

I guess one good thing about the place was that at least it didn’t taste bad.  It really didn’t taste like anything at all.

They need to inject some loco in Burrito Loco. The food, the help, and the joint itself could all use a heaping spoonful of loco. Ramsey, if you’re out there, get to Burrito Loco and crank up the loco stat!

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by | August 17, 2009 · 5:32 pm

Taqueria La Hermita

by Mikey

So I’ve been asking around to find really big burritos in order to warm up for my quest to take on the B3 at the Sahara in Las Vegas.  My neighbor told me that TLH (I’m just going to use the initials because I’m way to lazy to keep typing the name) had a fairly good sized burrito called the super burrito.  Time for a little warm up…

Taqueria La Hermita – Ventura – Johnson Blvd

TLH is really only big enough to be run by two people at a time: a cashier and a cook.  The cook is right next to the cashier so he was cooking my food as I was ordering it.  I ordered their carne asada super burrito with everything.  They told me that it was a bit over 2lbs, so it’s a good warm up.  I didn’t want to order more than one because I was a bit worried I wouldn’t like it.

They handed me the goods and it felt pretty heavy.  It was a pretty large burrito, and definitely not one you’re going to pick up and eat. The tortillas they use are pretty good and very fresh.  The sauce has a great kick and it’s kinda nice to have a burrito with a little bite.  They have a pretty good salsa and it has great jalapeno action happening.

It was pretty much down hill from there, which really sucks, because they have some great prices on their combo meals.  The carne is so diced up I could almost eat it through a straw, not to mention that it was closer to grey than brown.  I’ve never had meat so cut up.  What adds to the whole dicing thing is that the cheese is all crumbly, not shredded or even cubed, but crumbly.  The guacamole seemed a bit off too.

The beans and rice were fairly bland and the sour cream was tasteless too.  Their salsa saves the burrito as far as flavor, but it’s not enough to bail out a burrito of this size.  I ate the whole thing because I needed the practice, but my search is definitely going to have to continue for an even larger, and hopefully better tasting, burrito.

If you recommend places for me to try, don’t just give me some place that puts together a really large burrito. Let’s try and make sure it tastes good to so that I’ll actually want to finish it.  This burrito was more like the last few Nicolas Cage movies. You wanna like it, and really hope it gets better by the end, but alas……….

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